A jargon-free journey through the world of social media.

Manuela Oprea

October 26, 2009

When Adobe recently announced it was launching a Photoshop iPhone app — a free one, at that — millions of photo enthusiasts were both excited and skeptical. So we decided to put this hot new toy through the ringer with a two-part review.

First, we turn to Adweek Photo Editor Manuela Oprea, a woman who clearly knows her way around a camera. Then you'll get the skinny from me, Kammie Avant, Luckie's social media planner and run-of-the-mill, 20-something iPhone addict.

Manuela OpreaAdweek Photo Editor

I hesitated before deciding to download the new Photoshop Mobile App. No, it wasn't the price; the app is free. Instead, I thought about the limited memory I have left on my 8GB iPhone and wondered if I really needed the app or if I would use it.

As a photographer, I use Photoshop on a daily basis, and I'm always astonished by the program's capabilities. So I was skeptical of the "mini-me" Mobile version and assumed that it would be clumsy or gimmicky.

To my surprise, I found the Photoshop Mobile App easy to use and useful. The basic functions, like cropping and exposure, came in handy, especially after snapping a photo on a overcast day. I also had fun with the sketch filter, though I could do without the jarring rainbow effects.

Overall, I was enjoying the experience and didn't regret the download until I tried to register, a process that's supposed to help you share the photos you've edited on your iPhone. After multiple attempts to create a Photoshop.com account and two different error messages, my frustration built up and I gave up. The App is still on my phone, for the time being.